CN112236193A

CN112236193A - Artificial intelligence for improved skin tightening

Info

Publication number: CN112236193A
Application number: CN201980037992.6A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 丹尼尔·爱德华多·利斯基恩斯基
Original assignee: Ai Yingmei Co ltd
Current assignee: Ai Yingmei Co ltd
Priority date: 2018-06-11
Filing date: 2019-06-10
Publication date: 2021-01-15
Anticipated expiration: 2039-06-10
Also published as: US20230248968A1; US20210290953A1; EP3801752B1; BR112020025344A2; KR20210019020A; ES3018617T3; EP3801752A1; JP7390032B2; AU2019286380A1; CN112236193B; AU2019286380B2; WO2019239275A1; CA3101726A1; EP3801752C0; IL279331B1; IL279331B2; IL279331A; JP2021527463A; KR102751738B1; US11660449B2

Abstract

A system (20) includes a plurality of electrodes (28), one or more radio frequency (RF) generators (30), and a controller (36). The controller is configured to treat the skin of the user (22) using one or more decision rules in response to a plurality of determined values for at least one parameter by iteratively: determining at least one corresponding value of the determined values identifying a therapy setting from among the plurality of therapy settings by applying at least one of the decision rules to the determined value; and causing the RF generator to generate one or more RF currents to generate at least one of the electrodes based on the identified therapy setting Some pass through the skin. The controller is also configured to modify at least one of the decision rules in response to the determined value. Other embodiments are also described.

Description

Artificial intelligence for improved skin tightening

Cross Reference to Related Applications

The present application claims benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 62/683,070 entitled "Constant RF energy intensity for skin lighting-thermal method and apparatus" filed on 6/11/2018, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to the field of cosmetics, and in particular to the treatment of skin.

Background

U.S. patent 8,700,176 describes a skin treatment device and system for delivering Radio Frequency (RF) electromagnetic energy to the skin. The apparatus comprises one or more electromagnetic RF generating units, a plurality of groups of RF electrodes, and a controller for controllably applying RF energy to the skin through any selected group of RF electrodes or any selected combination of groups of RF electrodes selected from the plurality of groups. The electrodes may be fixed and/or movable electrodes. Different RF frequencies and/or frequency bands may be used.

Summary of The Invention

According to some embodiments of the present invention, a system is provided that includes a plurality of electrodes, one or more Radio Frequency (RF) generators, and a controller. The controller is configured to treat the skin of the user using one or more decision rules in response to the plurality of determined values of the at least one parameter by iteratively: determining at least one respective one of the determined values; identifying a therapy setting from among a plurality of therapy settings by applying at least one of the decision rules to the determined value; and causing the RF generator to generate one or more RF currents to be passed through the skin between at least some of the electrodes in accordance with the identified treatment setting. The controller is further configured to modify at least one of the decision rules in response to determining the value.

In some embodiments, the controller is configured to modify at least one of the decision rules using artificial intelligence.

In some embodiments, a different respective one of the RF generators is connected to each of the electrodes.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the substrate is,

the electrodes include at least three electrodes, at least one pair of electrodes being spaced further apart from each other than another pair of electrodes,

the therapy settings specify respective sets of electrodes for activation, an

The controller is configured to cause the RF generator to generate RF current to be delivered between a set of electrodes designated for activation by the identified therapy setting.

In some embodiments, at least some of the treatment settings specify different respective ones of the groups for activation.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the substrate is,

the treatment settings further specify respective sets of phases, at least some of the treatment settings specify different respective ones of the sets for the same one of the groups, and

the controller is configured to cause the RF generator to generate RF currents to be passed between a set of electrodes by causing the RF generator to apply respective RF signals to the set of electrodes, the RF signals each having a set of phases specified by the identified therapy setting.

In some embodiments, the system further comprises a surface shaped to define a track,

at least one of the electrodes is movable along the track,

at least some of the treatment settings specify different respective inter-electrode spacings, and

the controller is configured to cause the RF generator to generate RF currents for communication between at least some of the electrodes in accordance with the identified treatment setting by:

moving the movable electrode along the track such that the other of the movable electrode and the electrode is spaced from each other by an inter-electrode spacing specified by the identified therapy setting, and

after moving the movable electrode, an RF generator is caused to generate an RF current that is transmitted between the movable electrode and the other of the electrodes.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the substrate is,

the decision rules are each represented by a mapping of multiple domains of parameters to treatment settings,

the controller is configured to identify a therapy setting by identifying a domain to which the determined value belongs, and

the controller is configured to modify at least one of the decision rules by modifying at least one boundary of at least one of the domains.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the substrate is,

the fields are associated with different respective eigenvalues, an

The controller is configured to modify the boundaries of at least one of the domains by:

modifying the characteristic values of at least one of the domains based on those determined values of the determined values which belong to at least one of the domains, and

the boundary is set in response to the modified feature value of at least one of the domains.

In some embodiments, the controller is configured to set the boundary equidistant from (i) the modified characteristic value of at least one of the domains and (ii) the characteristic value of another of the domains adjacent to the at least one of the domains.

In some embodiments, the controller is configured to modify the characteristic value of at least one of the domains by:

calculating a mean of those determined values of the determined values that belong to at least one of the domains, and

the feature value is set to a weighted average of (i) the feature value and (ii) the mean.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the substrate is,

the determined value is a first determined value, and

the field comprising a plurality of skin area fields corresponding to respective skin areas,

by means of having been defined based on a second determined value of the parameter associated with the skin areas, each of the skin areas corresponds to a respective one of the skin areas.

In some embodiments, the skin region includes the cheek and forehead.

In some embodiments, the domain further comprises one or more incorrect electrical contact domains corresponding to different respective states in which the electrode is not in correct electrical contact with the skin, and the controller is further configured to:

another value of the parameter is determined and,

determining that the other value belongs to one of the incorrect electrical contact fields, and

in response to determining that the other value belongs to the incorrect electrical contact field, ceasing to treat the skin.

In some embodiments, the state includes a state in which the electrode is not in any electrical contact with the skin.

In some embodiments, the state comprises a state in which the electrode is in electrical contact with the skin but not in electrical contact with the skin via a gel layer having a thickness within a predefined range.

In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to generate an output indicative of a status to which the incorrect electrical contact field corresponds.

In some embodiments, the system further comprises a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of the skin and generate a temperature sensor output in response thereto, the determined value comprises a temperature value of the temperature, and the controller is configured to determine the temperature value in response to the temperature sensor output.

In some embodiments, the system further comprises a current sensor configured to measure at least some of the RF current and generate an output in response thereto, and the controller is configured to determine the determined value in response to the output.

In some embodiments, the determined values include current property values of a property of at least some of the RF currents.

In some embodiments, the system further comprises a voltage sensor configured to measure a voltage associated with at least some of the RF currents and generate a voltage sensor output in response thereto, and the controller is configured to determine the determined value in response to the voltage sensor output.

In some embodiments, determining the value comprises determining a voltage property value of a property of the voltage.

In some embodiments, the determined value comprises an impedance value of the impedance of the skin.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the substrate is,

the controller is further configured to cause the RF generator to generate a pre-treatment current to pass through the skin between any pair of electrodes prior to treating the skin, and

the controller is configured to determine an initial determination of the determinations based on the pre-treatment current.

In some embodiments, the system further comprises a server configured to communicate with the controller over a computer network, and the server and the controller are configured to cooperatively perform a process comprising:

comparing the quantity derived from the determined value with a baseline quantity, and

in response to the comparison, an output is generated to the user.

In some embodiments, the output includes a message indicating a property of the skin.

In some embodiments, the output includes a recommendation for a skin care product.

There is also provided, in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, a method, including treating a user's skin using one or more decision rules in response to a plurality of determined values of at least one parameter by iteratively: determining at least one respective value of the determined values; identifying a therapy setting from among a plurality of therapy settings by applying at least one of the decision rules to the determined value; and passing one or more Radio Frequency (RF) currents between at least some of the plurality of electrodes through the skin in accordance with the identified treatment setting. The method also includes modifying at least one of the decision rules in response to determining the value.

The invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

brief Description of Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a system for treating the skin of a user according to some embodiments of the present invention;

2-3 are schematic illustrations of techniques for treating a user's skin according to various treatment settings, according to some embodiments of the invention;

fig. 4A is a flow diagram of an iterative method for treating skin, according to some embodiments of the present invention; and

fig. 4B is a flow diagram for post-treatment according to some embodiments of the invention.

Detailed description of the embodiments

SUMMARY

When the dermal layer of the skin is heated to about 50-52℃, the collagen fibers in the dermis remodel, thereby tightening the skin. Thus, some skin tightening techniques involve heating the skin by applying RF energy to the skin. RF energy may be applied, for example, using a handheld treatment head that includes a pair of electrodes. In particular, RF current may be passed between the pair of electrodes while the electrodes are in contact with the skin, such that the RF current penetrates the skin.

In general, the depth of penetration of each RF current is an increasing function of the distance between the electrodes. For example, the penetration depth of a pair of cylindrical electrodes may be about half the distance between the pair of electrodes. Thus, when tightening multiple areas of skin using the same RF device, one challenge is that the depth of skin to be treated, and thus the desired penetration depth of the RF current, may vary from area to area. For example, while the deepest part of the dermis in the cheek or chin may be between 0.2mm and 3mm from the skin surface, the dermis in the forehead may not be deeper than between 0.1mm and 1 mm. Thus, a penetration depth suitable for the cheek may be dangerous for the forehead, while a penetration depth suitable for the forehead may be ineffective for the cheek.

To overcome this challenge, the inter-electrode distance (or "spacing") may be varied according to the depth of the skin. For example, a first pair of electrodes at a greater distance from each other may be used to treat the cheek, while a second pair of electrodes at a lesser distance from each other may be used to treat the forehead. Alternatively, the distance between a single pair of electrodes may be adjusted according to the depth of the skin by moving one or both of the electrodes.

The above method entails measuring the depth of the skin, or at least a parameter indicative thereof, during a treatment session. One such parameter is the impedance of the skin; thus, in theory, the electrodes may be used to measure the impedance of the skin, and the inter-electrode spacing may vary depending on the measured impedance. However, the impedance of any given area of skin in one user may be different from the impedance of the same area of skin in another user. Moreover, even in a single user, the impedance of any given area of skin may vary over time.

To address this challenge, in an embodiment of the invention, a handheld treatment device includes a controller configured to apply RF current according to a particular user-specific decision rule and to continually update the decision rule over time using artificial intelligence. In particular, during a treatment session, the controller repeatedly determines a parameter value, such as the impedance of the user's skin. Based on each determined value, the controller uses a decision rule to identify an appropriate therapy setting-including, for example, an appropriate inter-electrode spacing, and then applies one or more RF currents according to the identified therapy setting. After the treatment session, the controller may modify the decision rule based on the determined parameter values.

For example, for each user, multiple domains of impedance values may be mapped to different respective therapy settings corresponding to different respective regions of the skin, each pair of adjacent domains bordering each other at a respective decision boundary. Thus, for example, for one particular hypothetical user, impedances less than 350 Ω may be mapped to a treatment setting appropriate for the forehead, while impedances greater than 350 Ω are mapped to another treatment setting appropriate for the cheek. During a therapy session, the controller may identify the domain to which each determined impedance value belongs and then select the therapy setting to which that domain maps. After the treatment session, the controller may modify at least one of the decision boundaries based on the determined impedance value.

In some embodiments, to modify the decision boundary, the controller first updates the "characteristic impedance" Z for each skin region being treated based on the impedance values of the skin regions determined during the treatment session^c. In response to the updated characteristic impedances, the controller may set each decision boundary equidistant from the respective characteristic impedances of the two skin regions that meet at the decision boundary.

In some embodiments, to update Z^cThe controller first calculates the average Z of the impedance values obtained while treating the skin area^a. Subsequently, the controller calculates the current characteristic impedance sum Z^aWeighted average of, i.e. the controller will new characteristic impedance Z^c(n) is set equal to α x Z^c(n-1)+(1-α)*Z^a(n), wherein α is for example between 0.3 and 0.99, for example between 0.85 and 0.95. (in some embodiments, the controller does not update Z unless the skin region is treated for at least a predefined minimum duration, such as one minute, and/or unless a predefined minimum number of impedance values for the skin region is acquired^c。)

Typically, when the user activates the treatment device, the controller obtains an initial impedance measurement by applying a short RF current (referred to herein as a "pre-pulse") to the skin. Based on this initial impedance measurement, the controller selects the appropriate treatment setting and begins treatment according to that setting. Subsequently, the impedance is measured periodically, for example with a period between 0.1 and 1 second, while applying a conventional treatment pulse. Based on each periodic measurement, the controller determines whether a different treatment setting is to be used.

Typically, the controller is further configured to identify a condition in which the electrode is not in proper electrical contact with the skin, such as a condition in which the treatment device is removed from the skin during a treatment session. In response, the controller may pause or stop the treatment session.

Generally, the impedance of the skin depends on the amount of moisture in the skin. Thus, in some embodiments, the controller or cloud-based server may identify that the user's skin is dry based on the impedance value of the skin determined during the treatment session. For example, the controller or server may compare the current characteristic impedance of a particular skin region to a baseline characteristic impedance of the same user and/or a baseline characteristic impedance of a group of other users. If the current characteristic impedance deviates from the baseline, a message may be sent to the user suggesting use of the moisturizer.

Description of the System

Referring initially to fig. 1, fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system 20 for treating the skin of a user 22, according to some embodiments of the present invention. In general, system 20 may be used to treat any suitable area of skin, such as the skin of a cheek 24, a forehead 26, another part of the face, an arm, a leg, or an abdomen.

The system 20 comprises a hand-held skin-tightening device 21, which may be made of plastic and/or any other suitable material. Device 21 includes a housing (or "shell") 44 coupled to treatment head 23. The treatment head 23 (which will be described further below with reference to fig. 2) includes a plurality of electrodes 28. The electrodes 28 are typically disposed on a distal surface 46 of the treatment head or within apertures in the distal surface 46, e.g., such that the electrodes protrude from the distal surface 46.

The housing 44 contains one or more RF generators 30 that are typically connected to the electrodes 28 via leads 29 that pass between the housing 44 and the treatment head 23. Typically, the housing 44 further contains a Controller (CTRL)36, memory 34, and sensor 32. Typically, the RF generator 30, controller 36, memory 34 and sensor 32, as well as any one or more additional components described below, are mounted on an electronic circuit board 42. In some embodiments, two or more of these components are integrated into a single chip. For example, the apparatus 21 may include a controller36 and memory 34, such as by a Cypress Semiconductor^TMCY8C4247LQI-BL473 chips were produced. In some embodiments, memory 34 includes both internal memory integrated with controller 36 as described above, as well as external memory chips.

In general, the controller 36 is configured to perform at least some of the functions described herein by executing firmware and/or software code. Alternatively, the functions of the controller 36 may be implemented entirely in hardware.

To use the apparatus 21, the user 22 first covers the distal surface 46 (or at least the electrodes 28) with a gel layer having a thickness within a predefined range (such as 2-70 mm). Subsequently, the user operates the treatment head 23 on the skin of the user such that the electrodes 28 are in electrical contact with the skin via the gel. As the treatment head is maneuvered over the skin, controller 36 treats the skin of user 22 with one or more RF currents by causing the RF generator to generate currents to pass between the electrodes through the skin in accordance with feedback from sensor 32 and data from memory 34.

More specifically, during and/or immediately after application of at least some of the electrical current, the sensor 32 measures a relevant property of the skin or of the electrical current and generates an output signal to the controller 36 in response thereto. For example, the sensor 32 may include a temperature sensor configured to measure the temperature of the skin during and/or near after application of the current. (in general, current passing through thinner skin causes a greater increase in temperature relative to current passing through thicker skin.) alternatively or additionally, sensor 32 may comprise a current sensor configured to measure current applied to the skin. Alternatively or additionally, the sensor 32 may include a voltage sensor configured to measure a voltage associated with the current when the current is applied, such as a voltage at one or more activated electrodes. Alternatively or additionally, the sensor 32 may comprise a moisture sensor configured to measure the moisture of the skin. Alternatively or additionally, the sensor 32 may include an optical sensor configured to measure optical reflections from the skin, and/or an ultrasound transducer configured to measure ultrasound reflections from the skin.

Based on the output signals from the sensors 32, the controller determines a value of at least one parameter. For example, based on the output from the temperature sensor, the controller may determine the temperature of the skin. Alternatively or additionally, based on the output from the current sensor, the controller may determine a property of the applied current, such as amplitude and/or phase. Alternatively or additionally, based on the output from the voltage sensor, the controller may determine a property of the voltage between the activated electrodes, such as the amplitude and/or phase. Alternatively or additionally, based on the output from the aforementioned current sensor and/or voltage sensor, the controller may determine the impedance of the skin; for example, the controller may divide the voltage magnitude measured by the voltage sensor by the current magnitude measured by the current sensor.

Typically, the parameter values are determined periodically, for example with a period between a few microseconds and one second.

In response to determining each parameter value, the controller identifies a therapy setting from among a plurality of therapy settings by applying at least one decision rule to the determined value. For example, the controller may input the parameter values to a machine learning model, such as a decision tree or forest, configured to select a therapy setting in response to the input by implementing a set of decision rules. Alternatively, the decision rules may be represented by a mapping from multiple domains of parameters to therapy settings, respectively, such that the controller may identify a therapy setting by identifying the domain to which the value belongs. In other words, as further described below with reference to fig. 2-3, the controller may identify a domain to which the determined value belongs, and then identify the therapy setting to which the domain is mapped according to the mapping.

In response to identifying the treatment setting, the controller causes the RF generator to pass one or more RF currents between the electrodes through the skin in accordance with the identified treatment setting. Specifically, if an RF current has been applied according to the identified treatment setting when the treatment setting is identified, the controller causes the application of the current to continue. (this cause and effect (calculation) may be active, in that the controller may transmit an appropriate control signal to the RF generator so that the RF generator continues to apply the current, or passive, in that the controller may avoid having the RF generator stop applying the current.) otherwise, if the RF current is applied according to a different treatment setting, the controller stops the application of the current by transmitting an appropriate control signal to the RF generator. Subsequently, or if no RF current is applied when a treatment setting is identified, the controller applies a new RF current according to the identified treatment setting by transmitting an appropriate control signal to the RF generator.

Typically, the peak-to-peak amplitude of each RF current is between 20 and 130V (e.g., between 40 and 55V). In some embodiments, the RF currents are pulsed, for example, such that each RF current (which may also be referred to as a "pulse" in these embodiments) has a duration between 1 and 1000 ms. (the amplitude and/or duration of each pulse may be varied to deliver the desired amount of energy to the skin.) alternatively, a single current may be applied continuously until the next treatment setting is identified or until the treatment session is terminated.

During or after each treatment session, the controller may modify at least one decision rule in response to the determined parameter value. For example, if the decision rule is implemented in a machine learning model, the controller may retrain the model. Alternatively, the controller may modify the boundary of at least one parameter value field stored in the memory 34, as further described below with reference to fig. 2-3.

Instead of or in addition to the components described above, the device 21 may include any other suitable components, such as a power button or switch, a battery configured to power the device, one or more Light Emitting Diode (LED) indicators, and/or a motion sensor, such as an accelerometer. In response to the motion sensor ceasing to detect movement of the device across the skin, the controller may power down the device, thereby protecting the user's skin from excessive current.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 1, a different respective RF generator is connected to each electrode. (each RF generator also has a connection to ground, which is not shown in the figures.) in such embodiments, each current is typically generated by applying one RF signal to one electrode and the other RF signal to the other electrode with the same amplitude but opposite phase. The voltage between the pair of electrodes can then be determined by measuring the voltage at one of the electrodes and multiplying the voltage by 2. In other embodiments, a single RF generator is connected to all of the electrodes. As yet another alternative, multiple sets of multiple electrodes may be connected to different respective RF generators.

In some embodiments, each RF generator functions as a voltage source in that the RF generator is configured to apply a predetermined voltage. However, since the amplitude of the voltage actually applied may differ from the predetermined amplitude, for example, since the battery powering the device is depleted, the applied voltage may be measured. Similarly, even if an RF generator is used as the current source, the applied current can be measured.

In some embodiments, the apparatus 21 further comprises a communication interface, such as a network interface (not shown), a WiFi interface, and/or a bluetooth interface. Via the communication interface, the controller may communicate with an external processor, such as a processor belonging to the user's smartphone and/or a processor 39 belonging to the cloud server 38. (optionally, the controller may communicate with the processor 39 via the user's smart phone.) at least some of this communication may be exchanged over a suitable computer network 40, such as the internet.

Typically, the server 38 further includes a network interface 37, such as a Network Interface Controller (NIC). Via the network interface 37, the processor 39 may communicate with the device 21, with the user's smart phone, and/or with any number of other devices belonging to other users.

In general, each processor described herein may be embodied as a single processor or a group of processors cooperatively networked or clustered. In some embodiments, the functionality of at least one of the processors is implemented solely in hardware, e.g., using one or more Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) or Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), as described herein. In other embodiments, the functionality of each processor is implemented at least in part in software. For example, in some embodiments, each processor is embodied as a programmed digital computing device that includes at least one Central Processing Unit (CPU) and Random Access Memory (RAM). Program code and/or data, including software programs, are loaded into RAM for execution and processing by the CPU. The program code and/or data may be downloaded to the processors in electronic form, over a network, for example. Alternatively or additionally, program code and/or data may be provided and/or stored on non-transitory tangible media, such as magnetic, optical, or electronic memory. Such program code and/or data, when provided to a processor, results in a machine or special purpose computer configured to perform the tasks described herein.

Iteratively treating skin

Referring now to fig. 2, fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of a technique for treating a user's skin according to various treatment settings, according to some embodiments of the present invention.

In some embodiments, the skin tightening device includes at least three electrodes, at least one pair of electrodes being spaced further apart from each other than another pair of electrodes. In the particular exemplary embodiment shown in fig. 2, for example, four electrodes protrude from the distal surface 46: a first electrode 28a, a second electrode 28b, a third electrode 28c, and a fourth electrode 28 d. Some of these pairs of electrodes have a first inter-electrode spacing d1, others have a second inter-electrode spacing d2, d2 being greater than d1, and others have a third inter-electrode spacing d3, d3 being greater than d 2. (the spacing between the first and

fourth electrodes

28a, 28d is not explicitly indicated in the figures.) as another merely illustrative example, the first electrode 28a may be a distance d3 from each of the second and

third electrodes

28b, 28c, the second electrode 28b may be a distance d1 from the third electrode 28c, and the fourth electrode 28d may be a distance d2 from each of the second and third electrodes 28b, 28 c. (example values of these distances are 2mm for d1, 3mm for d2, and 4mm for d 3.) alternatively, the electrodes may have any other suitable number, and/or may be arranged in any other suitable configuration.

In such embodiments, the therapy settings stored in memory 34 specify the respective set of electrodes for activation. For example, the memory may store a mapping from multiple fields of relevant parameters (such as impedance or temperature of the skin) to corresponding sets of electrodes for activation. In response to identifying a therapy setting for each determined parameter value, the controller causes the RF generator to generate one or more currents to be delivered between a set of electrodes specified for activation by the identified therapy setting.

Typically, at least some of the treatment settings specify different respective groups for activation. For example, the hypothetical map in fig. 2 includes four different sets of active electrodes: (i) the domain [ x0, x1) maps to the group consisting of the first electrode 28a, the second electrode 28b, and the third electrode 28c, (ii) the domain [ x1, x2) maps to the group consisting of the first electrode 28a, the third electrode 28c, and the fourth electrode 28d, (iii) the domain [ x2, x3) maps to the group consisting of the second electrode 28b and the fourth electrode 28d, and (iv) the domains [ x3, x4) and [ x4, x5) each map to the group consisting of all of the electrodes.

In some embodiments, the treatment settings further specify respective sets of phases, at least some of the treatment settings specifying different respective sets of phases for the same set of electrodes. In response to identifying the therapy setting, the controller causes the RF generator to apply corresponding RF signals to a set of electrodes specified by the therapy setting, the RF signals each having a set of phases specified by the identified therapy setting.

For example, in fig. 2, although the domains [ x3, x4) and [ x4, x5) are mapped to the same set of electrodes, the domains are mapped to different respective sets of phases. Specifically, for the domain [ x3, x4), the phase of the first electrode 28a and the third electrode 28c is zero, while the second electrode 28b and the fourth electrode 28d have a phase of 180 degrees. (thus, depending on the treatment setting, an RF signal is applied to the electrodes such that the polarity of the first electrode 28a and the third electrode 28c is opposite to the polarity of the second electrode 28b and the fourth electrode 28 d.) for the domain [ x4, x5 ], on the other hand, the phase of the first electrode 28a and the fourth electrode 28d is zero, while the phase of the second electrode 28b and the third electrode 28c is 180 degrees.

Typically, the field comprises a plurality of skin area fields corresponding to respective ones of the skin areas, each of the skin areas corresponding to a respective one of the skin areas, by virtue of having been defined on the basis of values of parameters associated with the skin areas. For example, one domain may correspond to a cheek by having been defined based on parameter values associated with the cheek (such as cheek impedance values). Another field may correspond to the forehead by having been defined based on a parameter value associated with the forehead, such as a forehead impedance value.

In some embodiments, parameter values for defining the skin area are collected during a calibration procedure. During this procedure, the user operates the treatment head over the skin area over which the skin area is to be defined. For each of these regions, an RF current is applied to the region while a parameter value is determined.

For example, prior to treatment using the apparatus, the user may sequentially operate the treatment head (covering the electrodes with a gel layer of appropriate thickness) over a plurality of specific skin areas to indicate to the controller (e.g., by pushing a specific button) each transition from one skin area to the next. For each of the skin regions, the controller may determine a plurality of parameter values, and then define a domain of the skin region based on the determined values. For example, for each skin region, the controller may calculate a corresponding Characteristic Value (CV), for example by calculating an average of the determined values (excluding any outliers). The controller may then set the boundaries of the domains such that each boundary between adjacent domains is equidistant from the corresponding characteristic values of the adjacent domains.

For example, based on a calibration procedure, the controller may calculate the characteristic impedance Z for the cheek of the user_CAnd calculating a characteristic impedance Z for the forehead of the user_F. In response thereto, the controller may set (Z) between the cheek region and the forehead region_C+Z_F) The boundary of/2.

In other embodiments, values are collected from other user populations where appropriate. Based on these values, a processor (e.g., processor 39 (fig. 1)) defines a set of default skin area fields, which may be loaded into a memory of each skin tightening device during its manufacture.

In any case, whether the domains are calculated according to a user-specific calibration procedure or data obtained from a general population, the boundaries of the domains may be adjusted throughout the life of the device, as described further below.

In some embodiments, the fields in memory 34 further include one or more incorrect electrical contact fields corresponding to different respective states of the electrodes not being in correct electrical contact with the skin. In response to determining during the treatment that the parameter value belongs to the incorrect electrical contact field, the controller stops treating the skin, or suspends the treatment until the correct electrical contact is restored.

Typically, at least one of the incorrect electrical contact areas corresponds to a state in which the electrode does not have any electrical contact with the skin. For example, a "gel domain" which may comprise an impedance of, for example, between 550 and 800 Ω may correspond to a state in which the electrode is covered by a gel layer having a thickness within a predefined range, but is not in electrical contact with the skin. As another example, an "air domain" that may include an impedance above 4000 Ω, for example, may correspond to a state in which the electrode is not covered by gel and is not in electrical contact with the skin. As another example, a "short-circuit domain," which may include an impedance of, for example, less than 100 Ω, may correspond to a state in which the electrodes are electrically connected to each other via a low-resistance conductor (such as a user's watch).

Alternatively or additionally, one of the incorrect electrical contact areas may correspond to a state in which the electrode is in electrical contact with the skin but not in electrical contact with the skin via a gel layer having a thickness within a predefined range; in other words, the electrodes may be covered by too little or too much gel. As merely an illustrative example, a domain corresponding to skin contact with too little intervening gel may comprise an impedance between 1800 and 4000 Ω, while a domain corresponding to skin contact with too much intervening gel may comprise an impedance between 100 and 200 Ω.

In some embodiments, in response to identifying a state in which the electrode is not in proper electrical contact with the skin, the controller generates an output indicative of the state. For example, in response to identifying an incorrect amount of gel, the controller may cause the appropriate LED indicator to illuminate, making the user aware of the need to increase or decrease the amount of gel. Alternatively or additionally, the controller may transmit a message indicating the status to an external device, such as the server 38 (fig. 1) or the user's smartphone. In response to receiving the message, the external device may generate an output to the user indicating the status and any action required to resume the treatment. For example, in the event of an incorrect gel amount, the user may be instructed to increase or decrease the gel amount.

Each of the incorrect electrical contact regions may be defined by passing RF current between the electrodes when the electrodes are in an associated state of incorrect electrical contact and determining a value of the parameter of interest. Alternatively, at least one of the incorrect electrical contact regions may be defined based on pre-existing data (such as a table of impedance values for different types of materials). In any case, the same set of incorrect electrical contact domains is loaded into the memory of each skin tightening device, typically during the manufacture of each skin tightening device.

During each treatment session, the controller may store each determined value belonging to each domain in memory 34. Subsequently, after the treatment session, the controller may modify the respective characteristic values of the one or more domains based on the stored values. The controller may then reset at least one of the domain boundaries in response to the modified feature value. For example, the controller may set each boundary equidistant to the two closest eigenvalues.

In some embodiments, the controller modifies the feature value of the domain by calculating a mean of the determined values belonging to the domain and then setting the feature value to a weighted average of the (current) feature value and the mean. In other words, the characteristic value CV is given_iAnd determining the mean value M of the values, the controller may apply the new characteristic value CV_i+1Calculated as alpha CV_i+ (1- α) M, where α is a suitable constant between zero and one, such as a constant between 0.3 and 0.99 (e.g., between 0.85 and 0.95).

As an alternative to assigning a single characteristic value to each domain, the controller may assign a plurality of characteristic values to each domain, for example by calculating several local averages of a plurality of parameter values belonging to the domain. In such embodiments, the controller may update the one or more local average values in response to the plurality of parameter values determined during the treatment session. The controller may then modify the boundary between two adjacent domains by minimizing the sum of squared distances between the boundary and the local mean in the adjacent domains, or using any other suitable technique.

Referring now to fig. 3, fig. 3 is a schematic illustration of another technique for treating a user's skin according to various treatment settings, according to some embodiments of the present invention.

In some embodiments, the surface 46 is shaped to define a track 48, and at least one electrode 28e is movable along the track 48 such that an inter-electrode spacing "s" between the electrode 28e and another electrode 28f is adjustable. For example, the movable electrode may be located within a track, with a proximal end of the movable electrode located below the surface 46 threaded onto a screw that is parallel to the track and coupled to the motor. By using a motor to turn the screw, the controller can move the movable electrode along the track towards the electrode 28f or away from the electrode 28 f.

In such embodiments, at least some of the therapy settings stored in memory 34 specify different respective inter-electrode spacings. For example, fig. 3 shows different respective inter-electrode spacings s1, s2, s3, s4, and s5 for the same set of hypothetical domains shown in fig. 2. During the treatment session, in response to identifying the appropriate treatment setting, the controller moves electrode 28e along the trajectory such that electrode 28e and electrode 28f are spaced from each other by the inter-electrode spacing specified by the treatment setting. After moving electrode 28e, the controller causes the RF generator to generate one or more electrical currents to pass between electrode 28e and electrode 28 f. (Note that treatment settings may implicitly specify inter-electrode spacing by specifying the position of the movable electrode relative to any coordinate system.)

In general, for such embodiments, the controller may modify the eigenvalues and/or boundaries for the domains as described above with reference to fig. 2.

In some embodiments, the treatment head 23 includes one or more pairs of fixed position electrodes (as in fig. 2), and at least one movable electrode (as in fig. 3). The therapy setting may thus specify a set of active electrodes (and optionally, corresponding phases for the set) and inter-electrode spacing for the movable electrodes.

It is noted that the treatment settings may specify additional treatment parameters not described above with reference to fig. 2-3. For example, two therapy settings may specify different respective voltage or current amplitudes.

In some cases, combinations of domains may be mapped to a single therapy setting. Thus, for example, a particular domain of impedance values may be mapped to a first therapy setting in combination with a first domain of temperature or humidity values, while the same domain of impedance values may be mapped to a second therapy setting in combination with a second domain of temperature or humidity values.

Advantageously, combining the impedance domain with the temperature or humidity domain may take into account the fact that: the impedance of the skin may be a function of the temperature or humidity of the skin, such that a single impedance domain may correspond to different respective areas of the skin at different respective temperature or humidity levels. In addition, the protocol may facilitate providing multiple treatment settings for a single skin region. For example, at the beginning of a treatment session, when the skin temperature is relatively low, a first treatment setting specifying a relatively large number of active electrodes may be used. However, as the session continues and the skin temperature approaches the predefined safe threshold, a second therapy setting specifying fewer active electrodes may be used.

Example Algorithm

Referring now to fig. 4A, fig. 4A is a flow diagram of an iterative method 50 for treating skin, according to some embodiments of the present invention. After device 21 (fig. 1) is powered on, controller 36 (fig. 1) executes method 50 and, optionally, input from the user (e.g., via pressing an appropriate button) indicates that the user wishes to begin a treatment session.

Generally, the method 50 begins with a pre-pulse application step 52 at which step 52 the controller causes the RF generator to generate a pre-treatment current to be passed through the skin between any pair of electrodes prior to treating the skin. (the duration of this "pre-pulse" is typically between 1 and 20ms, e.g., between 1 and 5 ms.) in some embodiments, a single pair of electrodes on the treatment head is designated for application of the pre-pulse; in other embodiments, the electrode pair used for the pre-pulse may vary from application to application.

Based on the pre-pulse, the controller determines an initial value of a relevant parameter, such as the temperature of the skin, the amplitude and/or phase of the pre-pulse, or the amplitude and/or phase of the voltage between the electrodes, at a parameter value determination step 54. Subsequently, at a domain identification step 56, the controller identifies the domain to which the parameter value belongs.

Next, at a domain classification step 58, the controller checks whether the identified domain is a skin region domain. If so, the controller identifies the therapy setting to which the identified domain is mapped from the mapping in memory 34 (FIG. 1), at a setting identification step 60. In response to identifying the treatment setting, the controller causes the RF generator to generate one or more currents to pass between the electrodes through the skin in accordance with the identified treatment setting at a current application step 62.

On the other hand, if the identified domain is not a skin region domain (but is an incorrect electrical contact domain), then at decision step 59, the controller determines whether to stop the treatment of the skin. For example, the controller may determine whether the identified domain corresponds to a state where the device or user is at risk of injury, such as in the case of a short circuit or an electrode covered by an insufficient amount of gel. If the controller determines to stop the treatment, the controller proceeds to post-treatment processing step 65, described below. Otherwise, control returns to the pre-pulse application step 52. Thus, the controller may apply repeated pre-pulses until proper electrical contact is established between the electrode and the skin.

After the current application step 62, the controller checks whether the duration of the treatment session so far exceeds a predefined safety limit, such as two or three minutes, at a duration check step 64. If not, control returns to parameter value determination step 54. Otherwise, the controller stops treating the skin and proceeds to a post-treatment step 65. Similarly, as described above with reference to fig. 1, treatment may be stopped in response to no motion of the device being detected. Likewise, treatment may be stopped in response to the skin temperature exceeding the above-mentioned predefined safety threshold, or in response to the user actively terminating the treatment, e.g. by pressing a suitable button.

After treating the skin, the controller performs a post-treatment processing step 65, in which post-treatment processing step 65 the controller modifies, typically using artificial intelligence, at least one boundary of at least one of the parameter value domains in response to the parameter values determined during the treatment. In this regard, reference is now made to fig. 4B, which is a flowchart for post-treatment step 65, according to some embodiments of the present invention.

The post-treatment processing step 65 starts with a first checking step 66, at which first checking step 66 the controller checks whether any skin regions identified during the execution of the method 50 have not been processed yet. If so, the controller selects the identified skin region area that is not processed, at a field selection step 68. Subsequently, at a second checking step 70, the controller checks whether the number of parameter values determined for the selected domain exceeds a predefined threshold. If so, the controller calculates a mean (excluding any outliers) of the parameter values determined for the selected domain, at a mean calculation step 72. Subsequently, at a feature value modification step 74, the controller modifies the feature value of the selected domain based on the mean value. For example, the controller may calculate a weighted average of the eigenvalues and the mean as described above with reference to fig. 2. After the characteristic value modification step 74, or if sufficient parameter values are not determined, the controller returns to the first checking step 66.

In response to determining at the first checking step 66 that no unprocessed identified skin area regions remain, the controller modifies the boundary of the skin area region based on the modified feature values at a boundary modification step 76. For example, as described above with reference to fig. 2, the controller may set each boundary of each skin area domain to be midway between the feature value of the domain and the feature value of the associated neighboring domain.

Other embodiments

In some embodiments, server 38 (fig. 1) and controller 36 are configured to cooperatively perform a process comprising the steps of: an amount derived from at least some of the determined parameter values is compared to a baseline amount, and an output is generated to the user in response to the comparison, e.g., by sending an email message to the user's email account or sending a text message to the user's phone.

For example, the controller may transmit a plurality of determined values of the temperature or impedance of at least one area of the user's skin to the server. The server may then calculate a mean or median of these values and compare the quantity to the baseline. (alternatively, the controller may calculate a mean or median and transmit the quantity to the server.) in response to the comparison, the server may determine an attribute of the skin, such as the moisture of the skin. In response, the server may generate an output to the user, such as a message indicating the attribute (e.g., a message indicating dry skin) and/or a recommendation for a skin care product (e.g., a moisturizer). Recommendations for skin care products may also be issued to users based on data collected from other users, regardless of the nature of the user's skin.

Alternatively or additionally, the controller and at least one external processor, such as processor 39 (fig. 1) belonging to server 38 and/or a processor belonging to a user's smartphone, may cooperatively perform at least some of the functions described above with reference to the figures. For example, during each treatment session, the controller may transmit each determined parameter value to the external processor, and the external processor may then identify the appropriate treatment setting and transmit the treatment setting to the controller. Alternatively or additionally, the post-treatment processing in which the decision rule is modified may be performed by an external processor.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove. Rather, the scope of the present invention includes both combinations and subcombinations of the various features described hereinabove, as well as variations and modifications thereof which would occur to persons skilled in the art upon reading the foregoing description and which are not in the prior art.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

multiple electrodes;

one or more radio frequency (RF) generators; and

a controller configured to:

The user's skin is treated using one or more decision rules in response to a plurality of determined values of at least one parameter by iteratively performing the following operations:

determining at least one corresponding value of said determined values,

identifying a treatment setting from among a plurality of treatment settings by applying at least one of the decision rules to the determined value, and

causing the RF generator to generate one or more RF currents to pass through the skin between at least some of the electrodes in accordance with the identified treatment settings, and

In response to the determined value, at least one of the decision rules is modified.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to use artificial intelligence to modify the at least one of the decision rules.

3. The system of any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein a different respective one of the RF generators is connected to each of the electrodes.

4. The system of any one of claims 1 to 3,

wherein the electrodes comprise at least three electrodes, at least one of the electrodes being spaced farther from each other than the other pair of the electrodes,

wherein the treatment settings designate respective groups of the electrodes for activation, and

wherein the controller is configured to cause the RF generator to cause the RF current to pass between a set of the electrodes designated for activation by the identified therapy setting.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein at least some of the treatment settings are configured to activate different respective ones of the designated groups.

6. The system of any one of claims 4 to 5,

wherein the treatment settings further specify respective sets of phases, at least some of the treatment settings specify different respective ones of the sets for the same one of the sets, and

wherein the controller is configured to cause the RF generator to cause the RF current to flow in the electrodes by causing the RF generator to apply a corresponding RF signal to a set of the electrodes Passed between a set of electrodes, the RF signals each have the set of phases specified by the identified treatment settings.

7. The system of any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a surface shaped to define a track,

wherein at least one of the electrodes is movable along the track,

wherein at least some of the treatment settings specify different respective inter-electrode spacings, and

wherein the controller is configured to cause the RF generator to cause the RF current to pass between at least some of the electrodes in accordance with the identified treatment settings by:

moving the movable electrode along the track such that the movable electrode and the other of the electrodes are spaced apart from each other by the inter-electrode spacing specified by the identified treatment setting, and

After moving the movable electrode, causing the RF generator to cause the RF current to pass between the movable electrode and the other of the electrodes.

8. The system of any one of claims 1 to 7,

wherein the decision rules are respectively represented by the mappings of multiple domains of the parameter to the treatment settings,

wherein the controller is configured to identify the therapy setting by identifying the domain to which the determined value belongs, and

wherein the controller is configured to modify at least one of the decision rules by modifying at least one boundary of at least one of the domains.

9. The system of claim 8,

where the domains are associated with different respective eigenvalues, and

wherein the controller is configured to modify the boundary of the at least one of the domains by:

modifying characteristic values of said at least one of said domains based on those of said determined values belonging to said at least one of said domains, and

The boundary is set in response to a modified eigenvalue of the at least one of the domains.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to set the boundary to be the same as (i) the modified eigenvalue of the at least one of the domains and (ii) ) is equidistant from the eigenvalues of another of said domains that are adjacent to said at least one of said domains.

11. The system of any of claims 9 to 10, wherein the controller is configured to modify a characteristic value of the at least one of the domains by:

calculating the mean of those determined values of said determined values belonging to said at least one of said domains, and

The eigenvalues are set as a weighted average of (i) the eigenvalues and (ii) the mean values.

12. The system of any one of claims 8 to 11,

wherein the determined value is a first determined value, and

wherein the domain includes a plurality of skin area domains corresponding to corresponding skin areas,

Each of said skin area fields corresponds to a respective one of said skin areas by means of a definition already based on a second determined value of a parameter associated with said skin area.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the skin regions include cheeks and forehead.

14. The system of any one of claims 12 to 13, wherein the domains further comprise one or more incorrect electrical contact domains corresponding to the electrodes not contacting the skin different corresponding states of proper electrical contact, and wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine another value for the parameter,

determining that the other value belongs to one of the incorrect electrical contact domains, and

In response to determining that the other value belongs to the incorrect electrical contact domain, treatment of the skin is stopped.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the state includes a state in which the electrodes do not have any electrical contact with the skin.

16. The system of any one of claims 14 to 15, wherein the state comprises a state in which the electrodes are in electrical contact with the skin but not via a gel layer having a thickness within a predefined range.

17. The system of any of claims 14 to 16, wherein the controller is further configured to generate an output indicative of the state to which the incorrect electrical contact field corresponds.

18. The system of any one of claims 1 to 17, further comprising a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of the skin and to generate a temperature sensor output in response thereto, wherein the determined value comprises the and wherein the controller is configured to determine the temperature value in response to the temperature sensor output.

19. The system of any one of claims 1 to 18, further comprising a current sensor configured to measure at least some of the RF currents and generate an output in response thereto, wherein the The controller is configured to determine the determined value in response to the output.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the determined value comprises a current property value of a property of at least some of the RF currents.

21. The system of any one of claims 1 to 20, further comprising a voltage sensor configured to measure a voltage associated with at least some of the RF currents and in response thereto A voltage sensor output is generated, wherein the controller is configured to determine the determined value in response to the voltage sensor output.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the determined value comprises a voltage property value of a property of the voltage.

23. The system of any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein the determined value comprises an impedance value of the impedance of the skin.

24. The system of any one of claims 1 to 23,

wherein the controller is further configured to cause the RF generator to cause a pre-treatment current to pass through the skin between any pair of the electrodes prior to treating the skin, and

wherein the controller is configured to determine an initial determined value of the determined values based on the pre-treatment current.

25. The system of any one of claims 1 to 24, further comprising a server configured to communicate with the controller over a computer network, wherein the server and the controller are configured to A process including the following steps is performed collaboratively:

comparing the amount derived from the determined value to a baseline amount, and

In response to the comparison, an output is generated to the user.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the output includes a message indicating an attribute of the skin.

27. The system of any one of claims 25 to 26, wherein the output includes a recommendation for a skin care product.

28. A method comprising:

determining at least one corresponding value of said determined values,

passing one or more radio frequency (RF) currents through the skin between at least some of the plurality of electrodes in accordance with the identified treatment settings, and

29. The method of claim 28, wherein modifying at least one of the decision rules comprises using artificial intelligence to modify at least one of the decision rules.

30. The method of any one of claims 28 to 29,

Wherein passing the RF current between at least some of the electrodes includes passing the RF current between a set of the electrodes designated for activation by the identified therapy setting.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein at least some of the treatment settings specify different respective ones of the groups for activation.

32. The method of any one of claims 30 to 31,

wherein passing the RF current between the set of electrodes includes causing one or more RF generators to apply a corresponding RF signal to the set of electrodes, thereby causing the set of electrodes to RF current is passed between a set of the electrodes, the RF signals each having the set of phases specified by the identified treatment settings.

33. The method of any one of claims 28 to 29,

wherein at least one of the electrodes is movable along a track,

wherein, according to the identified treatment settings, passing the RF current between at least some of the electrodes comprises:

moving the movable electrode along the track such that the movable electrode and the other of the electrodes are spaced apart from each other by the inter-electrode spacing specified by the identified treatment setting; and

After moving the movable electrode, the RF current is passed between the movable electrode and the other of the electrodes.

34. The method of any one of claims 28 to 33,

wherein identifying the therapy setting includes identifying the therapy setting by identifying the domain to which the determined value belongs, and

Wherein, modifying at least one of the decision rules includes modifying at least one of the decision rules by modifying at least one boundary of the at least one of the domains.

35. The method of claim 34,

where the domains are associated with different respective eigenvalues, and

Wherein, modifying the boundary of the at least one of the domains includes:

36. The method of claim 35, wherein setting the boundary comprises setting the boundary to be the same as (i) the modified eigenvalue of the at least one of the domains and (ii) the same as the The eigenvalues of the at least one of the domains that are adjacent to the other of the domains are equidistant.

37. The method of any one of claims 35 to 36, wherein modifying the characteristic value comprises:

38. The method of any one of claims 34 to 37,

wherein the determined value is a first determined value, and

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the skin regions include cheeks and forehead.

40. The method of any one of claims 38 to 39, wherein the domains further comprise one or more incorrect electrical contact domains corresponding to the electrodes not being in contact with the skin different corresponding states of proper electrical contact, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining another value for said parameter;

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the state comprises a state in which the electrode does not have any electrical contact with the skin.

42. The method of any one of claims 40 to 41, wherein the state comprises a state in which the electrode is in electrical contact with the skin but not via a gel layer having a thickness within a predefined range.

43. The method of any of claims 40 to 42, further comprising generating an output indicative of the state to which the incorrect electrical contact domain corresponds.

44. The method of any one of claims 28 to 43, wherein the determined value comprises a temperature value of the temperature of the skin.

45. The method of any one of claims 28 to 44, further comprising measuring at least some of the RF currents and generating an output in response thereto, wherein the method comprises determining in response to the output the determined value.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the determined value comprises a current property value of a property of at least some of the RF currents.

47. The method of any one of claims 28 to 46, further comprising measuring a voltage associated with at least some of the RF currents and generating a voltage indicating output in response thereto, wherein the method comprises The determination value is determined in response to the voltage indicating output.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the determined value comprises a voltage property value of a property of the voltage.

49. The method of any one of claims 28 to 48, wherein the determined value comprises an impedance value of the impedance of the skin.

50. The method of any one of claims 28 to 49, further comprising passing a pre-treatment current through the skin between any pair of the electrodes prior to treating the skin,

Wherein, the method includes determining an initial determined value of the determined values based on the pre-treatment current.

51. The method of any one of claims 28 to 50, further comprising:

In response to the comparison, an output is generated to the user.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein the output includes a message indicating an attribute of the skin.

53. The method of any one of claims 51 to 52, wherein the output comprises a recommendation for a skin care product.